Egypt pulls out Arab Labour Organisation candidate in favour of Iraq

Egypt’s Minister of Manpower Mohammed Saafan announced on Saturday that Egypt has pulled out its candidate for leading the Arab Labor Organisation (ALO) in favour of the Iraqi candidate Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, as an assertion of the agreement principle, state media reported.

The election for selecting the news chairman and two deputies of the organisation was held during the meeting of the 87th round of the organisation’s chairmanship.

The elections also resulted in selecting the Bahraini Othman Sharif, and the Egyptian Gibali Maraghy as deputies of the chairperson.

In a similar step, Iraq has pulled out its candidate for leading the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Saleh El-Hasnaoui, on Thursday in favour of the Egyptian candidate Mushira Khattab.

A statement by the Iraqi Embassy in Egypt described the move as part of bilateral cooperation with Egypt in regional and international forums.

Egypt and Iraq has good relations especially in the last year, as Egypt supports the Iraqi government in its conflict with the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, which held an independence referendum two weeks ago to separate itself from Iraq. Egypt also suspended direct air flights to the Iraqi Kurdish region based on the Iraqi government’s request.